You can use it to search for the graves of your ancestors and relatives. You can also enter burial information that you have that might not already be in their system. Just today I found out where one of my gg-grandmothers is buried and discovered a photo of her tombstone that gave me her exact date of birth (which I didn't have before).

You can also put in requests to have a local volunteer take a photo of your ancestor's or relative's gravestone, in case you don't live close enough to the cemetery to do it yourself.

It seems pretty cool to me. Of course, I have only used it for graves in the USA. I'm not sure how extensive a European database they have.

I have used that website to create a "Virtual Grave" for my grandfathers elder brother who died in the Boer War of 1899-1901. The lad was only just 18 years old and was employed as a groom by a certain Lord. I think that he was probably coerced into enlisting into the local Yeomanry to do his bit. The Lord actually signed his Enlistment Application. After 10 months in South Africa the boy died of Enteric Fever at the Siege of Mafeking and is buried in Mafeking Town Cemetary. I have a photo of him and he bears a remarkable resemblance to one of my sons. I was not aware that you could arrange for a local contact to take a picture of the grave so many thanks for that information, Rich.

I have put in several requests at Find A Grave to get photos of tombstones at various places distant from me. Yesterday the first one came in. I was pleasantly surprised since, after a few days, I had kind of given up hope that anyone would actually go out and photograph the graves in question or that they could be found at all.

I got a nice photo of the monument of my ggg-granduncle, Christian S. Stevens (1807-1863). He was one of the brothers of my ggg-grandfather.

My wife, our nine year old daughter, and I hiked out into the woods today to photograph and record the information from 12 tombstones in an old family farm graveyard so that I could enter them at Find A Grave. I created an entry for the little cemetery and entered the tombstone info, but I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

It was kind of fun. These people are not relatives of mine (as far as I know), but I felt like I might be performing a service for someone researching his or her family tree in the future.

My wife, our nine year old daughter, and I hiked out into the woods today to photograph and record the information from 12 tombstones in an old family farm graveyard so that I could enter them at Find A Grave. I created an entry for the little cemetery and entered the tombstone info, but I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

It was kind of fun. These people are not relatives of mine (as far as I know), but I felt like I might be performing a service for someone researching his or her family tree in the future.

I should add, in case you got the impression that my wife made herself useful, that while I was taking photos and transcribing tombstone info, she was tapping me on the head and shoulder with an old tree branch, which she intended as a replica of a skeletal arm and hand. As she did so, she cried out in a ghostly voice, "Leave my grave alone! Go from here, Richard! Oooh-oooh-oooh!"

My wife, our nine year old daughter, and I hiked out into the woods today to photograph and record the information from 12 tombstones in an old family farm graveyard so that I could enter them at Find A Grave. I created an entry for the little cemetery and entered the tombstone info, but I haven't uploaded the photos yet.

It was kind of fun. These people are not relatives of mine (as far as I know), but I felt like I might be performing a service for someone researching his or her family tree in the future.

I should add, in case you got the impression that my wife made herself useful, that while I was taking photos and transcribing tombstone info, she was tapping me on the head and shoulder with an old tree branch, which she intended as a replica of a skeletal arm and hand. As she did so, she cried out in a ghostly voice, "Leave my grave alone! Go from here, Richard! Oooh-oooh-oooh!"

Yeah, she's a laugh riot.

I uploaded the photos this morning. They came out great, especially considering the fact that I was laughing at my wife's antics much of the time.

It may sound weird, but I can see how tombstone hunting could be a contagious hobby.

Lately I have hit paydirt with Find A Grave. It seems to work that way: things dry up for awhile and then suddenly you find some things and are adding more memorials of your ancestors and relatives to your "Virtual Cemetery".

I have even added notes about my y-dna results to the memorials of my y-dna ancestors.

I recommend Find A Grave. It has certainly advanced my genealogical research.

Rich I watched a dvd from the library called 1610.It was in Russian with english subtitles. i found a clip on youtube, though the subtitles here are not english. I know you like these sort of movies. I liked this one.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNskh0Xwy3c

Since the weather has warmed up, I am starting to see more and more of my photo requests fulfilled. Just got photos of the graves of my surname-line great great grandparents and my paternal grandmother.